Parents have always debated on the most effective practice for disciplining their children. Although there are many different techniques, positive discipline is an approach that focuses on instilling long-term habits.
Positive discipline centers on teaching rather than simply punishing. Whether your child studies at an international school in the Philippines or elsewhere, you can guide him to become the best he can be with the proper discipline starting from home.
Understand Your Child’s Behavior
If your child does something unacceptable, know that it’s from bad behavior. These negative instances can be corrected when you understand the root causes. Certain stressors, such as hunger, fatigue, or sleepiness, can lead most children to misbehave. Once you are able to identify the cause, it becomes easier to instruct your child in the right direction.
Keep Your Cool
When a child is misbehaving, a lot of parents tend to lose their temper. This is something that you must learn how to control. It may be very difficult in cases of extreme behavioral flare up. But in those kinds of instances, take a step back, count to 10, and recollect yourself. It’s always good to speak with a mind clear of anger.
Show the Right, Instead of Pointing Out the Wrong
You may sometimes be quick to respond to your children’s negative actions by just telling them “no”. However, simply saying no or telling them not to do something doesn’t reinforce the right course of action.
Instead of using phrases such as “no hitting” or “stop it”, try using more suggestive methods such as “please ask nicely” or “please tell me what is bothering you”. This leaves room for your child to think about his actions and reinforces the proper thing to do, the next time around.
Show Them Mistakes Are Good for Learning
Never shame your children for the mistakes that they’ve made. When a child develops a fear of committing mistakes, it could stun his confidence and self-esteem.
You can teach your child to overcome mistakes and use them as opportunities to improve by encouraging more open conversations about these. As much as possible, try to avoid giving monotonous lectures. Instead, you can use examples and recollections of past behavior to help them learn from their mistakes.
Never Bribe
Never resort to “bribing” your children out of a negative situation. If they are misbehaving, don’t offer an electronic gadget or treat just to pacify them. This can spoil your child. A way around this is to spend more quality time with him. Do activities that your child wants to do, even 15 minutes of one-on-one bonding time each day can be enough for your child to know that you’ll always be willing to give your time to him.
Key Takeaway
To further improve your child’s development, it’s best to turn to positive reinforcement as opposed to negative reinforcement when it comes to discipline. The key to executing all of these is to stay in control of every situation and to be calm. Whether your child studies in an international school in the Philippines or elsewhere, discipline always starts at home.
